California Turtle and Tortoise Club

CTTC Turtle & Tortoise Rescue & Adoption

Introduction

Each year, California Turtle and Tortoise Club Adoption Committees rescue and place thousands of abandoned, lost, seized, injured or diseased turtles and tortoises that have been turned in by other humane organizations, members of the public, local and federal government officers and veterinarians. These animals are treated, if sick, and are then placed as quickly as possible into suitable homes. 

Because adoption applicants are screened, and for other humane and legal reasons, ANIMALS ARE USUALLY PLACED ONLY IN REGIONS WITH CTTC CHAPTERS.

If you have an animal that you need to place in a new home or have questions about CTTC's Adoption Program contact your local Chapter or the CTTC Adoption Committee.

The California Turtle and Tortoise Club's Executive Board compiles Chapter adoption statistics.  These statistics include how many and which species of turtle and tortoise were turned into CTTC, and how many were placed. Quarterly and Annual Adoption Activity Reports are available on for 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002,  2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Adoption Application

 Adoption Application Form
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If you are interesting in adopting a turtle or tortoise from CTTC you must complete and sign an Adoption Application Form. This form can be printed out and filled in manually or you can fill it in on your computer and print out the completed form for signing.  The completed signed form must be mailed to your closest CTTC Chapter or brought to a Chapter meeting.  The mailing Chapter addresses are listed on the back of the form and are given below.

Contact your closest CTTC Chapter for more specific information on adopting a tortoise or turtle in your area.

CTTC Rescue and Adoption Program Areas

Desert Tortoises

Under federal and state laws it is illegal to buy, sell, take or harm desert tortoises in California, or to move them out of the State. By agreement with California Department of Fish and Game, designated members of California Turtle & Tortoise Club serve as volunteer representatives for the Department for the relocation of desert tortoises (including captive bred hatchlings) within California. This involves Adoption Committee members in each CTTC Chapter responding to requests from State Fish and Game Officers, our own members, the general public, veterinarians and humane organizations such as the ASPCA and local animal shelters, to provide pick-up services, veterinary care and husbandry recommendations for desert tortoises. Every year, CTTC handles hundreds of desert tortoises and works to provide the best homes available.

Members of California Turtle & Tortoise Club help to maintain the data base of captive desert tortoises, and process and issue the permits and registration materials for California Department of Fish and Game's "Permit to Possess Gopherus Tortoises" program. The program was designed to allow the legal possession of a protected species (i.e. the desert tortoise) which has a large captive population but is endangered in the wild, and thus to discourage illegal taking and abandonment of wild tortoises. Having a legal mechanism in which to operate is essential in the endeavor to prevent individual members of the public from returning long term captive tortoises to the wild, a once common practice that is widely suspected to have been a major contributing factor in the spread of the Upper Respiratory Tract Disease epidemic that has devastated the wild population. CTTC Adoption Chairpersons require would be desert tortoise adoptees to complete the CDFG Permit Application when they receive a tortoise so that all desert tortoises placed by CTTC are tagged.  If you already possess a desert tortoise and need a permit application, please e-mail your closest CTTC Chapter.  Permits have been issued for over 30,000 animals in California.

Other Turtles and Tortoises

California Turtle & Tortoise Club finds suitable homes for many other exotic and native turtle and tortoise species. For example, in the last few months 250 red-eared slider hatchlings were placed that had been seized by the Los Angeles Police Department and the West Los Angeles Animal Shelter for being sold in contravention of Public Health Laws. Over the summer of 1995, CTTC members systematically humanely trapped and removed 65 exotic turtles from a local lake to reduce competition and help with the survival of the small local population of native Western Pond turtles. The rather large turtles that were removed were adopted out to CTTC members. CTTC policy is to provide veterinary care to any sick animals that are turned into the adoption program. CTTC collects funds for veterinary care for these animals from the membership with occasional contributions from the general public.

Snapping Turtle Relocation Project

Because of concern over potential environmental havoc should they become established in the wild, possession of snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina and Macroclemys temminckii) is illegal in California. Nevertheless, despite the law, significant numbers of snapping turtles occur within the state. Because seized snapping turtles were euthanized by California Department of Fish and Game who lacked the resources to do otherwise, in 1993 CTTC initiated a program to ship (by air freight) common or alligator snapping turtles found in California to organizations in other areas of the country where they are native and/or legal to possess. This offers a route by which illegally possessed animals can be disposed of by their owners without fear of the animals being killed and will hopefully reduce illegal "dumping" of the turtles into California's lakes and rivers.